Nightmares (The Carolina Files, Book 4) - Willa Blackmore

Willa Blackmore - (The Carolina Files, Book 4) Nightmare

Hell has come to town, and it’s not playing nice.

Urban Fantasy meets Horror in this tale of living nightmares. A superb addition to this excellent series. This is the fourth book in the series and each one is better than the last. 

This book sees the introduction of a new character, one which I hope we will see much more of in future books. There is also more of a horror aspect to this book, as Hell pays the town of Henley on Hale a visit and Tula has to make a deal with a demon to save the townsfolk from a grizzly end.

As with book three, there was a twist at the end of this book and now I cannot wait for the next book. I love how these characters are developing, the world building is excellent and the story arc which runs through the series is fantastic. I am hooked!

I devoured this book in one long sitting. Roll on book five!

The reading order for this series so far:

Book 1, Witchwood

Book 2, Undertow

Book 3, Masquerade

Book 4, Nightmares

Available from Amazon

 

Masquerade - (The Carolina Files, Book 3) Willa Blackmore

Urban Fantasy Meets The X-Files

Just fantastic. This is the third book in this series and each one is better than the last. I’m very excited to see where this is going. This is Urban Fantasy meets X-Files but the investigator is a member of the paranormal community.

I love Willa Blackmore’s writing style. I find myself drawn into her world and the character development throughout these books has been excellent. The story has subtle ties to the first ones and we are starting to see the bigger picture now. What had seemed to be local events in books one and two now appear to have been part of a far larger plan.

I love the ending of this book. Massive twist. No spoilers here but I really didn’t see this ending coming and I am so excited to read the next book.

The reading order for this series so far:

Book 1, Invasion

Book 2, Undertow

Book 3, Masquerade

Available from Amazon

 

Undertow (The Carolina Files, Book 2) : Willa Blackmore

Urban Fantasy meets Horror in this tale of kidnap, murder and possession.

This is book two of The Carolina Files Series; Urban Fantasy meets Paranormal meets Horror. The book is set in the town of Henley-on-Hale, North Carolina. A unique town where supernatural beings mix freely with local mundane humans.

Tula Whitlow is one of three witch sisters who run a local Inn for Supernatural beings. The three had let their talents lapse and were living the high life until recently, when trouble landed on their doorstep and they were forced to start learning their witchcraft to defend the town. 

Trouble continues to plague the town. A series of gruesome murders of local teenagers comes to light. Demonic sigils found tattooed on the dead teens and daubed at the sites where their bodies are left leads local law enforcement to call in Tula to help investigate. All signs point to a ritual sacrifice which took place 15 years before. Were the teens involved in a demonic cult or are they paying for the sins of their parents?

I really enjoyed this book. The descriptive world building and character development is great; I like Willa Blackmore’s style of writing. It’s well paced and draws you into the story. I like that we see a bit more of what Tula’s sisters can do. I hope we get to know them better as the series progresses. I like that Tula hasn’t suddenly become an all-powerful, all-knowing witch and is having to actually learn her craft and hone her skills. I love Ruby and I like the way she is pulled in to help and uses everything as a teaching moment. I love that Tula hasn’t leapt into a relationship with the vampire, Victor, even though I kind of really want her to. 

This story is more complex than the first book and it’s all the better for that. I was completely immersed in this tale from start to finish. I really enjoyed it. I’m excited to see what the next book will hold. This is definitely one of the more interesting new series I’ve read lately. Willa Blackmore is an author to watch.

Available from Amazon

Invasion (The Carolina Files, Book 1) : Willa Blackmore

A paranormal mystery story with a touch of comic horror  

This is the first book in The Carolina Files; a planned Urban Fantasy meets PI series. I originally read and reviewed this book in April 2021.

The story features Tula Whitlow, a magic user who has let her talents lapse. She is one of three witch sisters, living in the small town of Henley-on-Hale, North Carolina. The town is a peaceful one and is made up of a good mix of magical and non magical inhabitants.

Mystery and peril arrive, brought by visitors who are caught up in events just outside of the town’s borders. This is a tale of magic, villainy and a summoned malevolent ancient god. What could possibly go wrong? 

I loved this book. The main and secondary characters are well defined, grow throughout the book and I found myself invested in their journeys. I could definitely relate to the main character, who finds herself thrust into situations she has no idea how to manage, yet somehow makes it through, often by the skin of her teeth. She grows from a young lady who is winging her way through life and not really taking anything seriously, to a woman whose need for magical skill has been thrust back upon her, giving her a focus and sense of purpose by the end of this story arc. 

The writing is easy to read, funny in places and there were no grammatical issues to pull me out of the flow of the story. I found myself staying up into the early hours because I wanted to know what came next and I couldn’t put the book down.

I’m delighted that there will be more books to come. I loved the humour and the comic horror element and I am really looking forward to what has the potential to be an excellent paranormal PI series. 

Available from Amazon